Lock for boxes.



D. I.l RICHARDSON.

LOCK FOR BOXES.

APPLICATION FILED HDV. 3| I9I6.

IPaItenI/'ed @apt II, IOW.

l IIIII W IIWVIII I III I wrmasszs DAVID 1T. RICHARDSON, OFIPITTSBRGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

LOCK FOR BOXES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. if, 191% Application led November 3, 1916. Serial No. 129,251.

To all rwhom t may concern.' f

Be it known that I, DAVID, J. RICHARDSON, a citizen of the United States, and residing in the city of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered new and useful' Improvements in Locks for Boxes, of `which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in a new and improved container for the mailing or shipment of valuables, such as currency, bonds, stock certificates, &c. y v

. The object in view is the provision of a container of light and inexpensive construction which will automatically lock itself shut when closed, and which, after the container is once closed, cannot be opened or access had to the locking means Without mutilating the container in such a manner that the fact i that it has been tampered with is advertised and its re-use is rendered impossible.

For the accomplishment of this purpose, I form my container of telescoping boxes, preferably of card or light fiber board and provide a novel form of automatic locking means so protected by the material of the boxes that it cannot be tampered with or ren-` dered inoperative without materially mutilating and destroying the container.

Novel features of construction and arrangement of parts will appear from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective of my container closed and locked, ready for the mail; Fig. 2 is a broken vertical longitudinal section of the same; Fig. 3 is a broken plan view showing the inner box nested in the intermediate box; Fig. 4 is a broken perspective showing the interior of the intermediate box; Fig. 5 is a broken perspective, showing the interior of the outer box reversed, and Fig. 6 is a vertical section showing the outer box and the intermediate box locked together, the inner box being omitted.

The following is a detailed description of the drawings.

The container is comprised of an outer box A, a second or intermediate box B, and, preferably, an inner or third box C, all having their tops open. The box B nests snugly in the box A, its open top being inserted into the box A while the box C is of the proper width to nest snugly in the box B, with its open top inserted in the box lf3., but the box C is short enough to provide room for the locking means at one or both of the ends of the intermediate box..

These boxes may be made of any suitable material; but I prefer to use stiff yet flexible card or ber board for that purpose.

Permanently fixed against the innerface of one or both of the end walls of the box B is a block l of wood or other light yet strong material, preferably substantially covering such end wall and secured immovably thereto, as by rivets 2. The upper end of said block is beveled, as shown at 3 and provided below the bevel with a transverse angular and preferably undercut locking slot 4.

5 is a locking plate of spring metal, firmly secured, as by rivets 6 to the inner wall of the outer box and having a downwardly extending hooked grip 7 which When the boxes A and B are telescoped together is rst sprung inwardly by the beveled portion 2 of the block 1 and then springs outwardly into positive engagement with the slot 4.

The presence of the inner box C within the box B prevents the movement of the grip 7 inwardly out of engagement with the slot 4 when the box is once locked closed, while it does not interfere with the locking operation as the grip 7 is in such case sprung together as it is inserted down between the beveled portion of the block l and the adjacent end of the inner box C.

In use, the currency or other valuable is first packed in the inner box C and the latter nested in the box B. The outer box A is now telescoped down over the box B, the spring grip 7 being compressed and inserted between the block l and the end wall of box C. When the box B is properly nested in the box A, the grip springs or expands into locking engagement with the slot 4, thus locking the container closed.

When the container has arrived at its destination and is to be opened, a knife is used to cut the top of box A so as to detach the locking plate 5 from said box; whereupon the box A may be removed and the boxes B and C unnested. It is evident that this entails the permanent multilation and destruction of the outer box, so that the container cannot be opened or its contents tampered with in transit, without that fact being advertised. The locking plate 5 andthe block l are inaccessible unless the container is mutilatedand the body of the block l pre vents access.l to the Agrip 7 :trom:y above or4 the hooked grip and locking block in A,en-V

gagement.

When a package of currency or jewelry is 7 to be sent by mail or express, the container is filled and locked shut by an authorized person, and, When received by the -`consignee, the condition of the container will Vindicate Whether or not its contents are intact. It the container is cut open, then it has been tampered with; otherwisethe contents are as shipped. Thus claims of shortage or improper lling of an order 'may be easily investigated and the responsibility fixed on the' proper person.

What I- desire to claim is 1. In a container for the purpose described, the combination of an outer box, a second box open at its top nesting snugly in said outer box, and automatic locking means for securing said boxes together comprising and a hooked locking.. plate of spring metal attached tothe bottom of the outer box and adapted to snap down over the exposed face of said block into engagement with said recess When said boxes are teleseoped together.

into engagement `With said recess when said boxes are telescoped together, and a third boxnesting in` said second box and having its end Wall bearing on saidlocking plate to Jrevent its disengagement from said recess.

' Signed atPittsburgh, Penna., this 19th day of'September, 1916.

lDAVID J. RICHARDSON.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained tor vefceuts each, by addressing the lGommisssiomir of: Patents,

i 'Wuhlugtom 114C. v 

